Switch



0. A. WARE.

SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24. 1920.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

onmo'ron A. WARE, or EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, Assrelvon T0 Sm TH SIGNAL COR- rona'rroiv, on NEW YORK, 1v. Y., A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

- SWITCH.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,0RINGTON A. WARE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Easton, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvanla, have invented a new and useful Switch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in a kind of'three-Way switch wherein a single blade having a longitudinally slidable and pivotal mounting is movable right and left and lengthwise, to engage with any one of three contacts pertaining to different circuits. In the type of switch referred to there is also a common contact member arranged to be engaged by the blade in each of the operative positions of the latter, this contact member being connected with a signal which indicates whether the switch and circuits are in working condition. The present invention presents certain improvements whereby the switch is rendered easier to make and more durable and reliable. The blade is now provided with compressible split wings which enter between rigid right and left contacts and sloping portlons of a rigid common contact bridge, which may be utilized as a support for the buzzer with which it is electrically connected. The third contact can be a straight bar secured to the base behind the bridge, where it is accessible, and the blade engages simultaneously with this contact and the bridge by protuberances struck from itslower and upper faces at longitudinally spaced points. The sliding and pivotal mounting of the blade is now at the rear, behind all ofv said contacts and the bridge, and forms the battery connection. At the front the blade is guided.

and held against vertical displacement by upper and lower resilient keepers of simple construction, the upper keeperhaving central and lateral impositive locking grooves removed for better illustration of other parts, and, the blade being shown in two positions, full linesrepresenting'the neutral Specification of Letters Patent.

Fig. l,

Patented Sept. 27, 1921.

Application filed January 24, 1920. serial No. 353,897.

position, and dotted lines being used to show the blade swung to the left;

F 1g. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Flg. 1, witlrthe cover and buzzer in place, 1the-blade being shown in its forward posiion;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of showing the buzzer on the bridge, and representing the blade swung to the right; 21nd ig. is aifra mentar ers A of the blade. g y p pecnve Vlew The switch has a circular base 1 of insulation. The edge of this base is seated on a ralsed rim 20f a metal bottomshell 3 between which and the base ber 1 for the binding terminals. is secured to the bottom shell by screws 5, 6, 6; and. a'cover shell 7 is seen ed to the base by screws 8.

At the rear central part of the base is a screw 9,wh1ch passes through the base and has nuts 10 on its lower end, which hold it againstupward movement and bind the bat tery w1re 11. A spacing washer 12 surrounds this screw immediately above the base, aifordingashoulder on which rests a The base flat blade 13, sustained slightly above the surface of the base. blade has i This portion of the a longitudlnal slotld, whereby it can pivot and move lengthwise on the screw. A holdlng washer 15 overlies the slotted portron of the blade, which it locks impositively either forward or rearward by means of rounded depressions 16 adapted to snap into notches 17 in the blade toward theends'of the slot. A compression spring 18 interposed between the head of the screw and the holdlng washer keeps the parts in close relation.

The blade extends forwardly beyond the front of the base, through a slot in the cover,

and at its front end bears a handle knob 19. bv which it can be swung laterally and also pulled out and pushed in.

Spaced at opposite sides of the intermediate portion of the blade are screws 20 and 21,

passing through the base and having nuts 22,

23 on their lower ends, securing them and serving to bind wires 24, 25 of two of the external circuits controlled by the switch. The heads of these screws form rounded button contacts.

A common contact member bridging the blade is formed by a straight bar 26, the ends of which are offset downwardly to form feet 27, which are secured to the base by screws 28.

The end portions 29 of the elevated part of the bridge are sloped downward, these portions being directly over the contacts 20,21. A buzzer signal 30 is secured to the bridge, in mechanically supported and electrically connected relation thereto. A wire 31 connects said buzzer with a ground connection 32 on the base.

The blade is provided with oppositely projecting lateral wings 33, 34, to enter between the contacts 20, 21 and the sloping portions 29, to make contact simultaneously with both. Each of said wings is split, comprising diverging upper and lower leaves, which are compressible when entered between the rigid contact surfaces.

A third contact 35 consists of a straight transverse bar secured to the base behind the bridge 26 and beneath the blade, from which it is spaced. Screws 43 fasten this bar at the ends to the base, and nuts on the lower end of one of said screws receive the wire 36 of the third external circuit controlled by the switch.

The blade is adapted to engage simultaneously with the contact 35 and the bridge or common contact member 26, by virtue of longitudinally spaced low rounded protuberances struck from its lower and upper faces respectively at longitudinally spaced points in front of the pivot.

Toward the front of the base are two transverse resilient keepers 37 and 38, one being above and the other below the blade, which they frictionally embrace. The keeper 37 is preferably a fiat bar offset downwardly at its ends to form feet which are secured to the base by the screws 6, 6. At the center it has a groove 39 raised in it, arranged parallel with the blade in its off position, and at the sides inclined grooves 40. These grooves cooperate with a longitudinal top rib 41 on the blade, to lock the same impositively in the central, neutral position, and also in the right and left positions. The wires enter the terminal chamber 4 through an o )ening 42 in the'bottom shell 3.

ll iat I claim as new is:

1. A switch comprising a base, right and left contacts thereon, a pivotal blade movable right and left from neutral position over the base, and a common contact mem ber bridging the blade and having sloping contact portions over the right and left contacts, the blade having oppositely proecting compressible split wings adapted to enter frictionally between said contacts and contact portions.

2. A switch comprising a base, right and left contacts thereon, a pivotal blade movable right and left from neutral position over the base, and a common contact member bridging the blade, the blade having oppositely projecting compressible split wings adapted to enter frictionall between said contacts and the portions oft e contact member thereover.

3. A switch comprising a base, right and left contacts thereon, a pivotal blade movable right and left from neutral position over the base, and a common contact member comprising a rigid bar bridging the 5 blade and having terminal foot portions secured to the base, an intermediate portion elevated to clear the blade and sloping contact portions connecting said elevated portion and the foot portions, the blade having oppositelyv projecting compressible split wings adapted to enter frictionally between said contacts and contact portions.

4. A switch comprising a base, a blade having a longitudinal sliding and pivotal mounting on the base at the rear, right and left contacts on the base, a third contact, all said contacts being in front of the pivotal mounting, and a common contact bar bridging the blade also in front of the mounting, the blade having means for selective engagement withsaid contacts and for engagement in eachofits operative positions with the common contact bar.

5. A switch comprisinga base, a blade having a longitudinal sliding and pivotal mounting on the base at the rear, right and left contacts on thebase, a third contact, all said contacts being in front of the pivotal mounting, and a common contact bar bridgi'ng the blade also in front of the mounting, the blade having lateral wings adapted to enter frictionally between the right and left contacts and the common contact bar and protuberances struck from its opposite faces in front of the mounting to engage th'e'third contact and the common bar.

6. A switch comprising a base, a blade having a longitudinal sliding and pivotal mounting on the base at the rear, right and 11 left contact buttons on the base, a common contact bar bridging the blade with sloping portions over said contact buttons, and a transverse contact bar on the'base beneath the'blade behind the contact buttons and 115 bridging bar, the blade having lateral compressible split wings adapted to enter frictionally between the right and leftcontact buttons and the sloping portions of the common contact bar, and protuberances struck 120 from its upperand lower faces at longitudinally spaced points to engage simultaneously with the transverse contact bar and the common contact bar;

7. A switch comprising a base, a'blade, a 125 longitudinalf sliding and pivotal mounting for the blade constituting a current-receiving terminal, right and left contacts and a third contact on the base engageable selectively by the blade by virtue of its lateral 130 and longitudinal movability, all said contacts being in front of the pivotal mounting, and upper and lower keepers at the front between which the blade is frictioiially movable.

8. A switch comprising a base, a blade, a longitudinal sliding and pivotal mounting for the blade, right and left contacts and a third contact on the base engagement selectively by the blade by virtue of its lateral and longitudinal movability, and upper and lower keepers at the front between which the blade is frictionally movable, said blade having a top rib and the upper keeper having central and lateral grooves to receive said rib.

9. A switch comprising a base of insulation, a bottom shell having a raised rim on which the base rests, affording a bottom chamber between the base and shell, a cover shell, right and left contacts and a third contact on top of the base having binding terminals at the under side of the base in said bottom chamber, and a blade having longitudinal sliding and pivotal mounting on the base for selective engagement with said contacts.

ORINGTON A. WARE. 

